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Past Ponderings

Sunday, September 21, 2014

PONDERING... Spiritual Resurrection (The Resurrection of Lazarus Part 5: vs 36-44)

John 11:36-44  So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"  37  But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?"  38  Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  39  Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days."  40  Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?"  41  So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me.  42  I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me."  43  When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out."  44  The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

Remember, this is one of the signs of Jesus that John records. All of these signs teach us something about Christ. Here, we see that the resurrection of Lazarus mirrors our own.

1. We're All Spiritually Dead

Colossians 2:13-14  And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,  14  by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 3:18  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

2. The Dead Can't Do Anything About Their... Deadness ;)
They don't raise themselves (even in zombie movies).

3. Jesus Calls Us To Life
The same thing that Jesus did for Lazarus, physically, He does for us, spiritually. This is salvation. Too often this is misunderstood in and outside the Church. It's not about bad people becoming good, or good people becoming better. Salvation is about dead people being brought to life!

Two Spurgeon sermons on this:

Ponder, pray, and propagate your perceptions!

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